Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Everything You Need To Welcome Your New Puppy Home

So you’re super-excited to get your new puppy. And you should be! But in addition to dog food, tags, and a trip to the vet for vaccinations, you’ll want a few other things that you might not have thought about.

To Keep Your Puppy Well-Fed: Old Tikko Water Feeder Dispenser ($33)

Feeding your new pup at a regular pace is important, and puppies eat quickly. If you’re forgetful or just busy, you might consider swapping out the standard food and water bowls for these gravity feeders.

They’ll hold a week or more of food and water for your puppy, keeping it from going hungry if you’re less than attentive. Pay attention to how much it’s going through, though: if your puppy is overeating (bloating, constipation) you should switch back to a standard bowl or upgrade to an electronic model.

Puppies are constantly teething for six to eight months, and they’ll have a desire to chew just about everything. That includes classics, like your shoes and bed sheets, and more dangerous stuff. Sometimes they’re especially fond of the rubbery texture of electrical cords or media cables—yikes!

To proactively prevent your puppy from munching on anything valuable or harmful, pick up a few bottles of Grannick Bitter Apple spray. This non-toxic spray makes anything—edible or not—taste revolting to your dog. Spritz a bit on anything your puppy likes to chomp on, and it will soon find something else to chew. (And as a nice bonus, it’s hilarious to watch when they try to spit it out.) Of course, you’ll want to stock up on some chew toys, too, just to give them something safe to attack.